For those keeping score at home, the price is $150 over what a brand new Phantom 4 (read our Phantom 4 review) costs. What’s with the price cuts? Occam’s Razor, in this case, is the Inspire 2 is coming and soon.

Yuneec’s latest entry into the prosumer market doesn’t affect the Inspire – it’s chief competitor is the Phantom 4. Instead, the similarities line up with DJI’s launch of the newest Phantom. Steep price cuts to current models to empty out the price tiers for a new launch.

DJI’s PR department is radio silent on possible features, but it’s the Internet. It’s time to speculate and present our wishlist.

DJI Inspire 2 Rumors

A feature that is a near lock is the collision avoidance system in the Phantom 4. The sense-and-avoid feature is DJI’s chief selling point for the latest Phantom, and it would be shocking not to see it in the latest Inspire. You can make the argument it would be more useful due to the 360-degree camera.

Another lock is a true dual operator setup. Yes, the Inspire has that now, sort of. But an upgrade to offer full control to each operator will firmly entrench the drone in the professional category. For that to happen, it will need the heavily rumored front-facing camera.

Design? Rumors have it sticking with the current look of carbon fiber throughout. The Inspire is already a sleek platform, so any design changes wouldn’t be as stark when going from an older Phantom to the Phantom 4.

One design change I’d love to see? Make it as portable as the Phantom series. I know, it’s a wildly different platform, but who doesn’t enjoy tossing a Phantom into a backpack and heading out the door. DJI could make the breakdown process easier with collapsible arms, etc.

An area of design heavily rumored is a new nose to accommodate a front-facing camera – hello dual operation.

DJI Inspire 2 Wishlist

Yes, we will all harp on the front-facing camera. Personally, I think it’s more of a lock than a wish, but you never know. It could end up on an Inspire 2 Pro, versus the Inspire 2. Though, DJI could skip conventional wisdom and debut multiple Inspire 2 SKUs. We shall see.

Batteries. How many forum threads have we seen of people complaining about batteries dropping from 80% to 3% and landing sequences abruptly starting? Granted, that’s user error on leaving the batteries in its case for weeks on end. It’s a PSA that deserves repeating. Top off your batteries before flying.

Battery tech will have to increase for the dependability factor to accommodate user error, but we can hope for extended range. DJI’s Phantom 4 saw a nice bump in battery life. A new Inspire should enjoy a comparable bump.

New batteries always fall in both the ‘lock’ and ‘wish list’ categories. Let us have our cake and eat it too.

Camera options. It’s a two-fold wish. One is the ability to shoot still frames while shooting. GoPro users already enjoy the feature and the ability to snap a frame every five or ten seconds is a must at this point.

Sure, if we are shooting in 4K, we can grab frames, but that’s not an ideal solution. It works, but DJI can do better.

Next on the camera wish list isn’t going to happen, but we can dream. Interchangeable payloads. DJI has the X5 and X5R. Toss in the FLIR attachment and maybe something from its partnership with Hasselblad. But truly interchangeable payloads? Yeah, DJI marketing would stage a coup over that idea.

The company already has multiple platforms for varying payloads. Allowing it on the Inspire series would cannibalize too much of the core products. The best we can wish for is a broader lens lineup for the X5(R) and additional partnerships.

Inspire 2 Price?

Conventional wisdom says you look at the non-sale price of the current Inspire 1, and that’s where it should land. There’s a caveat to that thought thanks to the Phantom 4. When the price cuts happened in the 3-series, everyone pointed to the $1,700 sweet spot for the Phantom 4 to land. Instead, it sits at $1,400.

It’s not a massive price difference unless you are talking percentages. Will the next Inspire enjoy the same type of percentage cut off the original price? If so, the $3100 price range could sit closer to $2500. Yeah, that price belongs in the wishlist category. Damn it, let me dream..

Lots of smoke with the Inspire price cuts. A new generation of the Inspire drone isn’t confirmed, but it is following the DJI pattern of product releases.

Drop your wish list in the comments. We can all dream before we get the reality check.